"Let me be clear": Essendon release statement on future of star pair

Essendon president Dave Barham has succinctly declared the club's stance on contracted pair Zach Merrett and Jordan Ridley, despite their exploration into futures at rival clubs.

It has been widely documented that Merrett has met with Hawthorn figures, while Ridley is keen to head north to Brisbane, which teammate and ruckman Sam Draper is set to join, albeit as an unrestricted free agent.

"Let me be clear. Zach Merrett is contracted to our football club, and our position is clear: he is not for trade," Barham said in a club statement.

"Zach has been an outstanding player for Essendon over a long period and will go down in history as one of our best ever players. We are committed to him, and we expect his commitment to our club to continue.

"This club, with its proud 153-year history, is bigger than any single player, coach, or administrator. While champions have come and gone, the club has always endured, and that will continue for the next 153 years. No one is bigger than the club.

"Jordan Ridley is contracted and is not for trade. We acknowledge his frustration in recent years with his body – we share these frustrations.

"We've now made fundamental changes to our high-performance and medical team as we strive to provide our players with a world-class High-Performance Program and Team, led by Mathew Inness – I will touch on this further below."

In Merrett's case, the Bombers' skipper is impatient for success as the club toils away without a finals win since 2004.

The 29-year-old has led the side for the past three years, and has won five Crichton Medals, with a sixth likely to be on its way in the coming weeks.

Ridley, however, has struggled to remain healthy, playing 19 games in the past two years as soft-tissue injuries have plagued his career. The 26-year-old is clearly looking for a fresh start.

The 2025 trade period is scheduled to open on Monday, October 6.

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